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The press release issued by the TUC on 20 January 2023.

• NEW poll shows three in five patients support striking health workers and majority of parents support teachers taking strike action
• TUC says polling shows patients and parents see right through government’s “divide and rule tactics”

Patients with health conditions overwhelmingly support key workers in the NHS going on strike to defend their pay and living standards, according to new polling published by the TUC today (Thursday).

The polling – conducted by YouGov for the TUC – shows that more than three in five (61%) of those diagnosed with a health condition support workers taking strike action in the NHS.

Nurses, paramedics, ambulance staff, and physiotherapists are all striking for a decent pay rise – with more strikes on the table as government continues to refuse to meaningfully negotiate with unions on pay.

The polling also shows that the majority of parents (53%) support teachers striking.

Teachers are set to strike in England and Wales for a decent pay rise, after NEU members overwhelmingly voted for strike action.

Decade of pay loss

The TUC says the large-scale support for striking workers amongst patients and parents shows that they “see right through the government’s divide-and-rule tactics”.

The union body adds that the support also shows they recognise that the key workers who got Britain through the pandemic are “owed a decent pay rise”.

Key workers in the public sector have faced more than a decade of collapsing earnings, as successive Conservative-led governments have held down their pay year on year.

• Nurses have lost £42,000 in real earnings since 2008 – the equivalent of £3,000 a year.
• Midwives have lost £56,000 – the equivalent of £4,000 a year.
• Paramedics have lost £56,000 – the equivalent of £4,000 a year.

In the education sector, teachers and school leaders have lost around a quarter of their pay since 2010 according to separate analysis by the NEU, NASUWT and NAHT.

Striking workers forced to take action

The TUC warns that striking workers have been ”left with no choice” and “forced to take action” after more than a decade of pay cuts.

The Conservatives’ decision to hold down public sector pay has left workers “hugely exposed to the cost of living crisis” and deepened the staffing crisis in the NHS, education and other public services.

TUC polling published in October revealed that one in three public sector workers are actively considering quitting or have already taken steps to do so.

The latest NHS data shows that NHS England is operating short of almost 130,000 staff due to unfilled vacancies. This represents a vacancy rate of 9.7%.

In the education sector, one in eight newly qualified teachers (NQTs) leave the profession after one year in the job, with almost one-third of NQTs (31%) leaving within their first five years.

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said: “Key workers in the public sector helped get the country through the pandemic.

“But many are now being forced to take action to defend their living standards as ministers continue to refuse meaningful talks with unions on public sector pay.

“This polling shows that patients and parents see right through the divide and rule tactics of this Conservative government.

“These are people that really rely on our public services – they know all too well the damage done by year on year pay cuts.

“They are fed up with ministers stonewalling negotiations – and they think that workers across the public sector are owed a decent pay rise.

“After years of brutal pay cuts, nurses, teachers and millions of other public servants have seen their living standards decimated – and are set to face more pay misery.

“And as well as holding down public sector worker pay – the government is now attacking their fundamental right to strike.

“It is little wonder morale is through the floor and many key workers are considering leaving their jobs for good.

“It’s time this Conservative government listened to patients, parents and the rest of the British public.

“Ministers must give workers across the public sector the pay rise they deserve and stop their damaging attacks on the right to strike.”

The press release issued by the TUC on 19 January 2023.

We are appalled by the UK Government’s decision to block the Scotland Gender Recognition Reform Bill, legislation that simply seeks to make the process for legally recognising a trans man or trans women’s gender kinder and more straight forward.

Trade unionists are champions of equality, including equality for trans and non-binary people. And we recognise the need to change the process for gender recognition, which is often lengthy, humiliating and expensive.

We need urgent reform to the outdated and stigmatising Gender Recognition Act 2004 across the whole of the UK. We need a simplified, free, statutory gender recognition process based on self-declaration while maintaining the Equality Act 2010 as it stands.

The government must support the rights of gender non-binary people at work and in wider society.

All LGBT+ people should know that trade unions are here to defend them in the workplace and beyond. We are sending solidarity to trans people and are committed to continue fighting to defend and extend the rights of all LGBT+ workers across the UK.

TUC LGBT+ Committee

The press release issued by the TUC on 19 January 2023.

The press release issued by the TUC on 18 January 2023.

Commenting on today’s (Wednesday) inflation data, which show CPI inflation at 10.5% and RPI inflation at 13.4%, TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said:

“Inflation remains higher than the pay rises most workers are getting. And far higher than the pay offers Rishi Sunak is trying to force onto millions of workers without fair negotiations.

“Instead of rushing in unfair and unworkable laws that attack the right to strike, ministers should be fully focused on public sector pay negotiations. It’s taking far too long for them to come to the table with credible offers.”

The press release issued by the TUC on 17 January 2023.

Commenting on today’s (Tuesday) labour market figures, which show real wages falling at an annual rate of 3.8% in November (on CPI measure), TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said:

“Workers have been losing hundreds of pounds from their annual pay over the last year. But in the public sector, Conservative ministers are dragging their heels on meaningful negotiations. That’s why staff have had no choice but to use their right to strike to defend their pay.

“The Conservative government will not resolve pay disputes by rushing in new laws that attack the right to strike. The best way to settle disputes is around the negotiating table – and with credible pay offers that protect workers from rising prices.”

The press release issued by the TUC on 16 January 2023.

• TUC warns MPs are “voting blind” following government failure to publish impact assessment for anti-strikes bill

A government-appointed body has today (Monday) criticised the government for failing to provide MPs with an impact assessment on its new Minimum Service Level bill, which is in parliament for its second reading today.

If passed, the bill will mean that when workers democratically and lawfully vote to strike in health, education, fire, transport, border security and nuclear decommissioning, they can be forced to work and sacked if they don’t comply.

The TUC has slammed the “draconian legislation” as “an attack on the fundamental right to strike”.

In a statement, the Regulatory Policy Committee – a group of independent experts brought together by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to examine the impact of regulation on business and civil society – said:

Government departments are expected to submit IAs to the RPC before the relevant bill is laid before Parliament and in time for the RPC to issue an opinion alongside the publication of the IA.

An IA for this Bill has not yet been submitted for RPC scrutiny; nor has one been published despite the Bill being currently considered by Parliament.

The TUC has accused the government of attempting to “railroad through” the new controversial legislation without proper consultation or scrutiny.

The TUC is calling on MPs of all parties to reject this spiteful legislation, which it says is “shortcutting” normal scrutiny procedures.

New sweeping powers

The bill gives ministers “sweeping new powers” to impose new minimum service levels through regulation – which could come into force as early as this summer.

But consultations on how these regulations will work have not been published, and parliamentarians have been given no detail on how minimum service levels are intended to operate – and the government has not yet published an impact assessment for the bill.

The TUC says the new legislation will “do nothing” to solve the current disputes across the public sector.

The impact assessment for the previous transport bill, published in Autumn but now superseded by the current legislation, warns that minimum service levels could poison industrial relations – leading to more frequent industrial action.

And the Government has failed to produce a fresh impact assessment for the new bill, which will cover a wider range of sectors.

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said:

“It’s shameful that MPs are being asked to vote blind on a bill that will have far-reaching consequences for millions of workers.

“The government is deliberately railroading through this spiteful legislation to avoid proper parliamentary scrutiny.

“Make no mistake – this bill is a fundamental attack on the right to strike that will force workers across the public sector to cross picket lines or face the sack.

“And it will do nothing to solve the current disputes across the economy – but only make matters worse.

“This draconian legislation is undemocratic, unworkable and almost certainly illegal.

“Workers are facing a living standards emergency. With inflation running at over 10%, the last thing they need is for ministers to make it harder to secure better pay and conditions.

“This is a naked power grab – no matter how ministers try and spin it.

“Instead of scheming up new ways to attack the right to strike, ministers should get pay rising across the economy – starting with a decent pay rise for workers across the public sector.”

The press release issued by the TUC on 16 January 2023.

• Spiteful legislation is a “full-frontal attack” on the right to strike, says TUC
• Government “shortcutting” scrutiny with new bill, union body warns

The TUC has accused the government of attempting to “steamroller” through new draconian legislation which attacks the fundamental right to strike without proper consultation or scrutiny.

The minimum service levels bill is back in parliament today (Monday) for its second reading, and would give ministers sweeping new powers that restrict the right to strike.

If passed, it will mean that when workers democratically and lawfully vote to strike in health, education, fire, transport, border security and nuclear decommissioning, they can be forced to work and sacked if they don’t comply.

The TUC is calling on MPs of all parties to reject this spiteful legislation, which it says is “shortcutting” normal scrutiny procedures.

The bill gives ministers power to impose new minimum service levels through regulation. But consultations on how these regulations will work have not been published, and parliamentarians have been given no detail on how minimum service levels are intended to operate – and the government has not yet published an impact assessment for the bill.

The TUC says the new legislation will “do nothing” to solve the current disputes across the public sector, and “only make matters worse”.

The impact assessment published in Autumn alongside the government’s previous Bill, aiming to set minimum service levels in transport, shows how minimum service levels could poison industrial relations – lengthening disputes and leading to more frequent industrial action.

TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said:

“This draconian bill is a full-frontal attack on the right to strike – and the government is trying to steamroller it through parliament, without proper consultation or scrutiny.

“This spiteful legislation would mean that when workers democratically vote to strike, they can be forced to work and sacked if they don’t comply.

“Make no mistake – this is undemocratic, unworkable and likely illegal.

“And it will do nothing to solve the current disputes across the economy – but only make matters worse.

“Workers are facing a living standards emergency. But with inflation running at over 10%, ministers are making it harder for working people to secure better pay and conditions.

“It’s time the government got its priorities straight.

“Instead of scheming up new ways to attack the right to strike, ministers should get pay rising across the economy – starting with a decent pay rise for workers across the public sector.”

The press release issued by the TUC on 13 January 2023.

Commenting on today’s (Friday) GDP data, which shows growth declining 0.3 per cent in the three months to November, TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak said:

“People’s living standards have already plummeted. And now falling GDP is putting jobs and businesses at risk. But there is little sign that Rishi Sunak’s government has any kind of plan to get our economy quickly back to growth.

“We urgently need workers to have more spending power to help the UK bounce back from decline. But instead, ministers are going all out to hold down pay. That’s only going to make a bad situation worse and keep us in a doom loop.”

The press release issued by the TUC on 10 January 2023.

This government has gone from clapping key workers to threatening them with the sack if they take lawful action for a pay rise. That’s wrong and almost certainly illegal. We need to take action now.

Rishi Sunak has detailed his anti-union legislation and plans to introduce new laws in the coming weeks.

It means that when workers democratically vote to strike, they could be forced to work and sacked if they don’t. That’s wrong, unworkable, and almost certainly illegal.

These new laws are a direct attack on working people’s fundamental right to strike to defend their pay, terms and conditions.

Instead of listening to the concerns of working people and negotiating fair deals, Rishi Sunak has decided to undermine the right to strike.

Every working person is under attack from these new laws.

Add your name and join the campaign. We must defend the right to strike.

As the cost-of-living crisis continues to hurt workers everywhere, we need to be able to stand together and choose to strike when we must. These laws will do nothing to fix this crisis – they will make it even harder for working people to get pay rises.

The change we need will not come from a petition, but if tens of thousands sign today it will show how many of us are ready to fight these unjust laws.

The press release issued by the TUC on 5 January 2023.